Lorena Gonzalez Challenges Tom Steyer at May 1 Union Rally With 'Workers Over Billionaires' Shirts
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 28
Lorena Gonzalez Challenges Tom Steyer at May 1 Union Rally With 'Workers Over Billionaires' Shirts
2 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 28
At a May 1 rally in East San Jose, labor leader Lorena Gonzalez confronted billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer by handing out red shirts reading “WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES!”
The move directly tested Steyer’s central pitch in California’s governor’s race: a wealthy candidate campaigning against the rich before a working-class union audience.
Gonzalez said she urged Steyer to put on one of the shirts as he arrived at the event on a pale blue campaign bus.
The episode captures a core tension in the race — whether organized labor will fully embrace a billionaire trying to run as an anti-elite ally.
If a billionaire spends millions to fight the rich, who really wins?
Can a candidate’s policies be separated from the controversial sources of their wealth?
When self-proclaimed populists use 'dark money,' can voters trust the political system?